Get Sporty in Greenwich this Summer

Summer 2026 has an exciting calendar of sports in London, with two major tennis events – the Championships at Wimbledon and the Laver Cup at The O2, cricket test matches and the women’s T20 World Cup, as well as the T100 Triathlon. 

With the FIFA World Cup already lighting up our screens at football watch parties across Greenwich, it’s the perfect inspiration to be sporty this summer.  

Work up a sweat, perfect your hand-eye coordination or try something completely new and active. With top facilities available to hire, acres of parkland and green spaces to explore, and a range of leisure centres, here are the best places to go for sports and activities in Greenwich. 

Kick off with football experiences 

If you’re excited by the skill, passion and drama of the world’s biggest football tournament, test out your skills at TOCA Social’s interactive football experiences in The O2. Have fun hitting targets, scoring points and taking on challenges at different levels of difficulty. Buy food and drinks at the bars and restaurants and make a day of it with a group of friends and family, or make it competitive with a group of colleagues or teammates. 

Keep your kids active through the summer holidays with football camps run by Charlton Athletic, open to boys and girls aged from 4 to 15. Book an astro for a kickaround at Goals Eltham or head out to local parks and playing fields for a game. 

Try Tennis, Padel and Pickleball

If the Laver Cup or Wimbledon inspire you to dust off a racquet for the first time in years, or if you’re a regular, tennis is the perfect way to spend a sporty day in the summer. Greenwich Park boasts six courts available for hire throughout the year. There are also courts for “pay and play” in Eltham Park South, at Charlton Lifestyle and Lido off Shooters Hill and at several other parks across the borough.  

Combine elements of tennis and squash with a game of padel ball by booking one the variety of courts at the Padel Social Club in The O2, Medway Padel Courts or at Coldharbour Leisure Centre. Try your hand at pickleball – a social racquet sport with aspects of tennis, badminton and table tennis – at the Plumstead Centre or Woolwich Waves. 

Golf activities for all abilities 

Just Golf on Greenwich Peninsula is home to a state-of-the-art driving range right on the River Thames with views over Canary Wharf. Perfect your swing there or try out the family friendly 18-hole crazy golf putting adventure. For those dreary days, there’s an indoor golf simulator, so you can play a world-famous course with advanced ball-tracking technology without leaving your heated booth. 

Visitors are welcome at Royal Blackheath Golf Club, the oldest golf club in England – founded in 1608 – with an 18-hole parkland course and Grade I-listed 17th-century clubhouse. 

Walking and running routes to explore  

With beautiful Greenwich Park and the sights and sounds along the Thames to keep you pounding the pavement, there are many lovely parts of the neighbourhood to explore on foot. The Green Chain Walk is a network of footpaths linking green spaces and parkland across southeast London, with manageable sections that pass through Greenwich linking the Thames Barrier with Oxleas Meadows, Eltham Palace and beyond.

Prefer to do it with a group of people? Parkrun – a free and inclusive 5km event where you can walk, jog or run – takes place at 9am every Saturday morning at venues across the world. Within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, there are five different parkrun locations – Avery Park, Charlton Park, Greenwich Peninsula, Sutcliffe and Thames Path, Woolwich. 

Climb and bounce at The O2 

For the ultimate high, strap on your harness and climb Up at The O2. The standard climb takes you to the 52m-high platform with 360-degree views over the Thames, London landmarks in Canary Wharf and beyond. For something special, add drinks to your booking, or join one of the Friday night Summer Sessions, where a live saxophonist performs while you enjoy twilight views over the city.  

Test out your wall-climbing skills at Clip ‘n Climb, with 20 fun challenges and a 10m-high drop slide, or have fun bouncing at Oxygen Active Play, an epic trampoline park with soft play sections. 

Swim and cool off: indoor pools and lido 

Cool down on a hot day with a refreshing indoor swim at Greenwich Centre, Thamesmere Leisure Centre, the Eltham Centre and Woolwich Waves. Charlton Lifestyle and Lido has a heated 50m outdoor pool with a sun terrace.